


Gotta Use Some New Material

by DaisyQueenYisel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Identity Reveal, all aboard the discourse train, idk we'll just see how this goes, just expect a lot of shipping, probably???, this is probably going to end up being a fan episode tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:51:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5779372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyQueenYisel/pseuds/DaisyQueenYisel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes a new idea can lead you into a familiar mess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm improvising so feel free to tell me when this fic starts to suck

Marinette Dupain-Cheng lived for cliches. 

Nerdy girls getting the makeovers of their lives, the prince giving up everything to marry a peasant, straight romances in general, anything and everything that was overused and unnecessary was her lifeblood. Posters of blockbuster teen movies were scattered across her room, and dozens of romance novels were stacked on her dresser. She knew that the superhero life shut down all of the stereotypical superhero-normal person romances she enjoyed the most(for a very specific reason), but she adored them nonetheless. I mean, the Twilight series was the highlight of her preteen years. Cliches were worth their weight in gold, no matter how cheesy, no matter how predictable. Marinette just never expected that her love life would become one. 

Her heart thumped, words stumbled out of her mouth, and she broke into a nervous sweat as she tried to apologize to Adrien Agreste, who was helping her pick up her designs after she ran into him head on. Adrien was the prized student of her school, a celebrity model and son of a millionaire. Despite his lavish background, however, he really came off as a really sweet guy. He just gave off the vibe of a knight in shining armor. So of course, Marinette couldn't help falling for him-and falling _hard._ So that's how it was, year after year of high school, switching back from confident crime-fighting Ladybug to creative, self conscious Marinette. But fate could not allow Marinette a smooth love life to help ease the chaos in every other aspect of her life, so as she was trying to draw and walk as to finish her latest design, she smacked right into Adrien and knocked them both onto the floor. The embarrassment was just too much for her too handle all at once, but Adrien didn't seem to notice. He was as sweetly oblivious as he was sweet to look at. 

"It's okay, Marinette, really!" Adrien said, trying to coax the anxious Marinette. He chuckled lightly, which did not help Marinette's already fast-beating heart as his voice made it flutter.  

He shook his head and picked up the last few papers on the floor.  

"Here, these are the last designs- Oh, wow."  

"W-what?" Marinette said, a new kind of anxiety setting in as Adrien stared at the design she was so eager to finish. It was a redesign of her Ladybug outfit, fitted with a new and improved belt that had a simple pattern of gemstones going through the middle, a smooth metallic ladybug brooch to be added, and some practical sleek black boots. Adrien scanned the design in absolute awe, but was interrupted as Marinette snatched the paper out of his hands.  

"Wh-Hey, what's wrong? That Ladybug design is amazing! Are you a big fan of hers?" Adrien said, seeming genuinely interested. Marinette mentally cursed. She should have put that design in her sketchbook as soon as possible, to avoid something like _this._ Marinette took a deep breath and laughed nervously. 

"Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that! I was just messing around, though. It's really just a rough sketch of all the ideas I'm trying to get out." Marinette said, finally calming down.  

"Well, it's a really good rough sketch. Honestly, you're so talented, it's insane." Adrien said as he stood back up. He held his hand out to her and gave her a friendly smile, which made Marinette's cheeks glow with warmth. A compliment AND a helping hand?  

She should really draw and walk more often. 

Marinette cleared her throat and took his hand gratefully, and he helped her back on her feet. 

"Thanks, Adrien. But it all comes with practice." She said, and Adrien gave a soft "hmm"  in agreement. Adrien kept smiling at Marinette, never breaking eye contact, which was beginning to make Marinette squirm. Adrien saw her discomfort and snapped out of it, laughing nervously and clearing his throat. 

"Uh, sorry! I'm kind of out of it today, really worked myself out last night what with uh, modeling and all." He said, and turned to give himself a "what?" face. Who would even believe that? And how do you even workout by just modeling? But to Adrien's surprise, Marinette just nodded slowly. 

"Uh, yeah, I get that! I'm pretty tired too, since I was out-"  

Marinette froze and searched her mind frantically for an excuse that would make sense, and definitely would not suggest that she was on patrol last night as Ladybug. 

"Uh, with Alya! Looking for materials for my new designs." 

"Like the Ladybug design?" He asked, and Marinette tensed, her forgotten anxiety making an encore back in her thoughts. Should she say yes? What was the harm in admitting she was creating a new outfit for Ladybug? It's not like that would immediately give her away as Ladybug. She was just Marinette, innocent fashion designer-to-be who was spitballing ideas and who was also a fan of the Miraculous Ladybug, along with what, the rest of Paris? Marinette was okay. No identity revealing at stake here. 

"Yeah, like the Ladybug design. I've been thinking about it for a while now and I, of course, appreciate her current design, but I just think these new additions would give her outfit a cute personalization, you know?" She said, and Adrien nodded, gesturing for her to walk to the classroom. The two continued their conversation at a bubbly pace, Marinette explaining her ideas and Adrien praising her for them. Adrien had always known Marinette was a talented designer, but she had such a complex yet understandable thought process to her designs that he just couldn't get enough of it. 

"I almost designed a gem- _encrusted_ belt, but that would just make it too gaudy. Oh, and do you think a ladybug barrette would be better than a brooch? It'd probably interfere with m- _her_ to have something on your chest like that." Marinette caught herself, and mentally applauded her smooth recovery. She was becoming more and more comfortable with talking to Adrien, and about _Ladybug,_ no less. Well, fashion for Ladybug. But still, she was keeping her cool, and didn't feel the least bit nervous. 

Marinette took her seat, and Adrien sat in Alya's, looking pensively at the Ladybug design. 

"I think a barrette would be better, actually. I think it'd feel strange to have something hanging as you moved around as much as she'd have to." He finally said. Marinette nodded and took the paper from his hands, erasing and wiping away the excess. Adrien watched Marinette as her hands fluttered back and forth, creating light, smooth strokes to fix the part where she had erased. Once she was satisfied with it, she then went to start sketching out the design for a barrette. The two sat in peaceful silence, subconsciously taking comfort in each other's presence. Adrien's thoughts drifted elsewhere, and he began to assess the unfamiliar situation he was in. 

He'd never taken any particular interest in Marinette before. Sure, he knew she was basically a fashion prodigy, especially after winning that hat designing contest with such a spectacular and original piece. Adrien just considered her one of those fair-weather friends, one that he could say hi to, maybe even chat with for a bit, and then catch up with Nino if he saw him. Well, maybe "chatting" was a bit of a stretch. Maybe _trying_ to chat with was more accurate. Marinette was a very shy girl, only ever hanging around her best friend, Alya. Adrien noticed Alya's efforts in trying to get Marinette to socialize more by pushing her to speak with him, but it never really worked. He never got to bond with Marinette in a meaningful way. But here he was, helping her out with a design, and sitting next to her as she worked with expert precision and professional expertise. Marinette really was an amazing person. He should really talk to Marinette more. 

"Sorry to interrupt whatever's going on here, but isn't your seat in the front, Adrien?" 

Adrien and Marinette jolted and whipped their heads around to see a smiling Alya, who was standing with her hands on her hips. 

"I don't really mind, just asking." She said, a playful smile laced on her lips.  

"Oh, sorry! I was just helping Marinette with this amazing design she had, and I guess I forgot you sat here." 

" _Amazing_ design? Wow, I knew she was good, but if the great Adrien Agreste thinks your work is good...." Alya said, and winked at Marinette, who was holding her face in her hands and avoiding the looks from her best friend. 

Adrien laughed nervously. "Uh, here, I'll move." 

Adrien rushed to gather his things, a foreign rush of heat flooding into his cheeks from embarrassment. He nodded a goodbye at Marinette and muttered an embarrassed goodbye to Alya as he walked to his seat, but stopped in his tracks.  

Marinette's new Ladybug outfit _was_ amazing. So amazing that Ladybug herself should see it.  

Adrien turned to face Marinette, who was engaged in a frustrated, silent staring contest with her sketch. 

"Hey, Marinette, we should show your design to Ladybug herself!" He said. Marinette's eyes went wide and the desk suddenly launched an inch in the air. 

"Ow!" Marinette pulled up her knee and rubbed it. She snapped her eyes back to Adrien and plastered on a nervous smile. 

"T-to Ladybug?" She said, her voice tense. Well, guess Adrien didn't suspect her as Ladybug after all. 

"Well, yeah! I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but your design is too good to just keep an idea."  

Adrien flashed her a smile, which Marinette couldn't help but return graciously. He really did believe her designs were amazing. How could Marinette say no? 

"Well, I don't know how that's going to work, but I'll try and show her, then!"  

"Awesome! Ladybug will love it, I guarantee!" Adrien exclaimed, filled with childlike excitement. He walked back to his seat, still wearing a giddy grin. Maybe he could show Ladybug himself who Marinette was in the crowd, and Marinette would be able to meet Ladybug- 

Adrien faltered in his steps, sitting down slowly as confusion set in his mind. He......wasn't sure he really wanted them to meet. I mean, sure, he wanted Marinette to have her design praised, but he didn't want to complicate things. Somehow. Adrien frowned as he tried to find an explanation for his hesitation. Marinette was his friend. Ladybug was his partner. Ladybug didn't come across as the jealous type, if she just so happened to turn out to just be tsundere for him, and Ladybug would always be his lady, no doubt about it. He just found Marinette sweet, and talented, and kind, and adorable....... 

Oh. 

Meanwhile, Marinette was covering her face in embarrassment while Alya squealed about what had just happened. 

"He said your design should be seen by Ladybug herself! He really likes you, Marinette, you know he does!" Alya said, poking her friend's ribs in a fit of excitement. Marinette yelped, causing Alya to laugh. 

"You'd think you'd be happier about this "sudden development" between you and Adrien. Something wrong?" Alya asked, her voice shifting from playful to concerned. Marinette sighed and groaned in frustration, thinking of the situation she had just put herself in. How was she going to "show" Ladybug the design without Adrien finding out she was Ladybug? Maybe she could avoid the whole thing by pretending Ladybug rescued her during an akuma attack and just handed the drawing off to her as she swung away.  

"No, nothing's wrong. Just thinking about the design, that's all." 

"Oh, you know Ladybug will like it. She's so cool, she'd recognize greatness when she sees it. Plus, you'll have Adrien there to give you a confidence boost! So that's a plus." Alya said, and flipped open her notebook as the bell rang for the school day to start. Marinette nodded slowly and opened her own notebook, muttering under her breath, 

"More like a problem." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #SaveAdrienAgreste2k16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter's a little bit shorter, I'm trying to juggle schoolwork, fandom, and family all at the same lmao

Adrien Agreste wanted life to be an unexpected adventure. 

He'd lived his entire life in luxury, being social royalty around his friends and having his whole life planned out by a father that never had time to be around for him. When he was growing up, he used to love sci-fi and horror movies with plot twists and mysteries that always kept you searching for answers and solutions. He craved chaos in the best possible way, the way you would enjoy a game of War during P.E., or a raving concert you would sneak out to. But he was still unsatisfied, despite being able to be basically served his every whim. There was no way Adrien would still be sane if it weren't for the fact that he was also Chat Noir. His superhero persona gave him the thrill, the adventure, the spontaneous boost he needed to course through his blood like an icy magic. Basically, Adrien was an adrenaline junkie. But there was that nagging thought at the back of his head, saying  "Do you really deserve to be a superhero? You always get everything you want, how is this any different?" Adrien was constantly doubting himself, never really sure of anything when he was out of the suit. But when duty called, there was one thing he could be sure of; He and Ladybug would kick some major butt. 

Ladybug was the very first constant he had in his life. He knew that as long as he could fight by her side, as long as he was able, they would never lose. Ladybug was already unbeatable, but together, no villain stood a chance. He didn't mind letting Ladybug take the credit, either. It was her Lucky Charm that saved their hides in their worst moments, after all. There was a lot he owed to her. 

But was it bad to feel the same way about someone else? To find someone, who couldn't be anymore different than the other person you like, who you find absolutely amazing? It's not like either of them thought of Adrien the same way, though. Adrien had a habit of giving his heart to girls that didn't even have a clue that he was head over heels for them. It had only been a four days since the Ladybug design incident, but Adrien was already trapped. 

Adrien groaned as the last bell rang, interrupting his thoughts. And there went the school week. Ever since the design incident on Monday, he and Marinette had been meeting up before school to just chat. They would look at her designs, they would talk to each other about the ridiculous essays due, and basically bonded.  

"Hey Adrien, do you ever try and draw designs of your own?" Marinette asked, looking at him with genuine curiosity. 

 _"I never noticed how big her eyes were before. Or how blue they were."_ Adrien thought. 

Marinette shifted her head, and sunlight illuminated her face softly. She blinked and moved out of the sun, blinking rapidly. 

 _"Or how cute."_  

"Uh, I never _draw_  them, but I do have some ideas about how I could fix up some of the suits I'm modeling after school today." Adrien said, admitting something he never read into. "They could really use a nice, red rose. I feel like that would make the look more romantic, since that's what they're looking for." 

Adrien stopped speaking and looked at a grinning Marinette. Adrien felt a faint warmth on his cheeks. 

"What? What's wrong? Is that a bad fashion tip?" 

"No, it's a great one!" Marinette said. "I knew you had a good sense of style! Ooh, maybe you and I could collaborate together on fashion designs!" 

Marinette paused and flashed Adrien a shy smile. 

"I mean, I-if you want to, I was only suggesting it, of course!" 

Adrien laughed as he shook his head. 

"No matter how cool you act around me, you're still shy about asking me to do stuff with you, Mari?" 

Marinette looked surprised at the use of a nickname, but she just giggled, her cheeks reddening. 

"Well, do you want to?" 

"Of course!" 

 Adrien smiled to himself at the memory, and he was filled with a small drop of hope. Maybe he could clear up his thoughts over the weekend with an extra long patrol around Paris and save the weekend. He smiled determinedly and checked his phone out of habit, to find a surprising text from Natalie. He unlocked his phone and read it to himself. 

 _"Your father asked me to help book some new studios for your modeling, and I got so caught up that I forgot to contact the limo agency. Find a safe place to wait for an hour or two as I finish up, and I'll send a limo there."_  

He gathered up his things and slung his backpack over his shoulder in an irritated huff. What a way to start the weekend. Well, guess he had some time to hang out with Nino now. Unless Nino was going to hang out with Alya today, as he usually did, since he was never around after school. Adrien sighed as he pushed the school doors open.  

Guess that means he had time to think on some more pressing and confusing matters. 

 _"Do I even like Marinette?"_ Adrien thought. _"I mean, I_ _talk_ _ed_ _to her_ _whenever Alya's around_ _, and I've never felt like this_ _then_ _.......but something about her, something that she seems to hide,_ _it's as if it's always been like this._ _"_  

Adrien felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, but was only met with the sound of laughter from his other side. Adrien rolled his eyes and turned to find his best friend, Nino. 

"Hey, dude! You're never gonna catch on to that shoulder thing, are you?" He said. Adrien laughed and shoved him lightly. 

"You just caught me off guard, Nino. I'm a little bit distracted." 

Nino cocked his head like a curious puppy. If puppies could smile mischievously. 

"By distracted, do you mean "falling for a girl"?" He said. Adrien huffed. 

"Why do you always assume it's a girl?" Adrien said in false annoyance. Nino laughed. 

"Well, am I wrong, or am I getting rusty on picking up your distress signals?" 

Adrien shoved his hands in his pockets, and with a small smile, muttered, "No......" 

"I knew it!" Nino exclaimed. "So who's the lucky girl, huh? Do you got time to dish the details?" 

Adrien laughed. "Dude, you're starting to sound like Alya. Yeah, the limo's gonna be like, an hour late." 

The two sat at the edge of the school entrance's stairs, where they usually waited for Adrien's limo to pull up. Adrien wrung his hands nervously, staring at his feet. Why was he suddenly so hesitant about talking to Nino about this? Maybe it was the fact that he used to have a crush on Marinette before.....and that he even tried to hook the two up. Nino's smile faltered as he watched his friend's faraway look. 

"Uh, you okay? This doesn't seem like a normal kind of crush if you're this confused....." 

"Nino, do you think it's okay to like two people at once?" He asked, deciding it was best to start off with anonymity. Nino looked taken aback for a second, but his usual cheerful smile returned to his face as he realized what the situation was. 

"Ohhh, you're scared your celebrity crush on Ladybug will interfere with this new crush of yours, huh? Well, it depends on how new this crush is. When did you start liking this chick?" 

Adrien sighed in frustration, cupping his chin. "The thing is, I didn't just _start_ liking her. It's kind of like, I found her really cool at first, but I didn't really think much of it when I got super flustered when I accidentally touched her hands, or when I really looked forward to hanging out with her this week because for the first time, she actually let me. Marinette actually talked to me normally, like she was starting to get comfortable around me-" 

"Wait, I'm sorry, did you just say Marinette? Marinette Dupain-Cheng? My girlfriend's best friend?" Nino leaned in closer for emphasis, making Adrien regret talking to Nino about this in the first place. 

"The girl I used to like?" He said, which automatically made Adrien defensive. 

"Keyword: _used,_ Nino! You don't like her anymore, so I'm not breaking guy code." 

"Whoa, I didn't mean it in that way, bro! Chill, I'd never think you would do something like that. You're my friend. I'll help you out with your crush on Marinette!" 

Adrien looked at his friend hopefully. "Really?" 

"Of course, dude!" 

Adrien smiled. "Plus, you could maybe get Alya to help me out with this? I have a feeling you two would have fun with helping me get through this crush." 

Nino smiled widely, and he clapped his hands together in finality. 

"Bro, we're not just gonna get you to get _through_ this crush. We're gonna help you snag her heart! This is a match made in heaven!" Nino said, and he shook his head slightly. 

"That girl doesn't seem like the type, but it seems like every guy in school has a crush on her, huh?" He said. "But she only likes one guy." 

Adrien's smile fell, but before he could process this fully, Alya and Marinette walked up to the two.  

"You boys look like you're discussing the meaning of life over here. That's a little bit concerning." 

"Alya!"    
Nino stood up to give his giggling girlfriend a hug, and the two broke apart holding hands. Nino then lit up and turned to Alya. 

"Oh, babe, do you mind if Adrien tags along with us today? His limo's delayed for an hour, so we can show him our usual hang out spot." 

"You mean, my room?" Marinette said, speaking for the first time. Marinette met Adrien's eyes for a split second, and looked away hurriedly, still smiling. Adrien swallowed, a foreign anxiety suddenly washing over him. 

"You mean the bakery, right? We're not actually-" 

"Adrien, chill!" Alya said, interjecting through the conversation. "We go there all the time after school, and her parents are cool." 

"Yeah, and last time it was just me and you in my room, and you were fine!" Marinette said helpfully. 

Alya and Nino froze, their mouths hanging open in surprise. Marinette's eyes widened with realization, but before their best friends could say anything, Adrien took her arm and mushed forward. 

"Yep that's true why don't we go to the bakery and hangout now huh?" Adrien said in a panicked rush. Marinette blushed and put her forehead in her palm, but quickly looked up at Adrien in confusion. 

"Adrie-" 

"It's fine! It's all good!" 

"Adri-" 

"Nope, we don't have to talk about that-!" 

"Yo, Adrien!" 

Adrien turned around to face Nino, who was doubled over from laughter. 

"The bakery's this way!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoop this fic is actually going somewhere(literally)!!!!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GET REKT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this seems rushed, i apologize in advance, i posted this without the help of my beta reader, Phoenix  
> (also i have a beta reader her name is Phoenix and she is who you should thank for typo free chapters)

Was it possible for your crush to become your new best friend in less than a week? 

Heck if Marinette knew. Never in a million years had she imagined that Adrien Agreste would be fawning over her designs, sneaking her a bit of caviar after she mentioned she'd never tried it before, and slowly becoming her best friend. How did that work when you were in love with someone? Were they still your best friend? In every movie, book, or work of fiction she saw the two best friends totally changed their behavior around each other once they ended up together. Was that going to happen to her and Adrien? Marinette did want to end up with him, of course. She just really loved how they felt together when they hung out platonically. Was she falling out of love with Adrien? Once again, heck if Marinette knew. All she knew was that she would probably be the luckiest person in love in all of Paris if she somehow managed to end up with Adrien, which was saying something, since it was literally the city of love. 

"Hey, mom, hey dad!"  

Marinette greeted her parents as she held the door open for Alya. She walked over and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, and another to her father. 

"Do you mind if my friends hang out here for a bit?" She asked politely. Adrien smiled to himself as he watched the scene unfold. Sweet Marinette, always so respectful of her parents. 

"Oh honey, you can stop asking that whenever Alya and Nino come over, we're used to them by now-" 

Sabine froze, holding a tray of freshly made apple turnovers as she spotted Adrien in the crowd. Adrien tensed, but he was just met with a warm smile. Tom put his hand on his daughter's shoulder and waved to Adrien. Adrien blinked and waved back a second late. 

"And I'm sure we'll get used to Adrien, too." He said. "Hey kids, would you like some turnovers? They're freshly cooked!" 

Marinette rolled her eyes as her friends rushed her mother to get some pastry goodness. Adrien couldn't help but challenge Sabine's generosity and grabbed six apple turnovers, ravenously munching one down already. Marinette covered her mouth to stifle her giggles as he walked towards her, looking like a squirrel who packed in way too many acorns in their mouth. 

"Dish ish REALLY good!"  

Marinette let herself laugh out loud as she stopped Adrien from starting another turnover. 

"Maybe we should save those for later." She said, and she waved at her friends to follow her upstairs. The kids waved goodbye to her parents and chatted as they walked up behind her. 

"Yo, Marinette, you up for some Black Ops today? I still feel like we can beat those jerks that pounded us last time." Nino said, and Alya nodded her head. Marinette shook her head and turned to them. 

"We lost last time because you two kept trying to save each other, and forgot that you were supposed to protect the rest of the squadron! I think I'll pass for now, or at least until this chivalry phase between you two dies down." 

Marinette reached for the doorknob, opened the door slightly, but then slammed the door and turned back in alarm. 

"Uh, you guys stay out here for a sec! I have to, uh, clean my room!" 

"Marinette, your room's always clean!" Alya protested. Marinette shot her a desperate look, but before Alya could understand, Nino nodded and turned to her and Adrien. 

"Me and Adrien will wait here a sec. Alya, you should really help Marinette clean her room." 

Alya looked at her boyfriend in confusion, but Nino nodded his heads towards Adrien, who was trying to subtly bite into another turnover. Finally, it clicked in her head, and she nodded. Alya grabbed Marinette's hand and swooped her inside of her room. 

"Do you really have to have pictures of him in every corner of your room?" 

"Don't judge me. You know it can't be helped."  

Alya laughed as the two rushed forward, taking out pins from her wall and stacking the pictures of Adrien from magazine covers, newspaper articles, and the like at lightning speed. Marinette logged in to her desktop and changed her wallpaper to her favorite cat from Neko Atsume, Pepper, stuck inside of a small box. Alya shoved the pictures under her bed, and sat on the bed to take a breather. 

"Hey, so I have a quick question." Marinette said as she clicked away on her desktop.  

"What's up, Marinette?" 

"Is it weird to have a crush on someone but still want to be like, their best friend?" She said, focusing on the computer monitor as she plugged in her old PS3 to it. Alya raised her eyebrows and smirked. 

"Why, Marinette, I didn't know you felt this way about me!" She said. Marinette shook her head and giggled. 

"No, I'm talking about Adrien. He and I have started hanging out this week-" 

"Oh, I've noticed."  

"-and even though I still like him, I like hanging out with him like that. What does that mean?" Marinette said. She suddenly perked up and looked under her desk. She clicked her tongue and groaned. 

"I left the game in the living room. Hey, guys!" She called out. The girls stared at the door for a few seconds, hearing hushed voices arguing. There was what could possibly have been a scuffle, and finally, the door creaked open slowly. Nino's head popped through, and Adrien following his example. 

"Sup, Marinette?" Nino asked. 

"I left Call of Duty on the TV stand in the living room. Could you guys get it for me?" 

"Sure can do! Come on, Adrien."  

The boys heads disappeared, and the door shut behind them. Alya smiled. 

"I was wondering when you were going to let them in." 

"I will in a second. I just need you to answer my question." 

Alya walked over to her friend, who was still focused on setting up her console. She rested her chin on her head, putting her hands on her shoulders. 

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be your crush's best friend. That's actually the best way you could feel about him. You should be comfortable around the person you like, because that's what a loving relationship is all about. It's a good start, Marinette." Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette's neck and hugged her. "Who knows? Maybe being best friends is what gets you two together in the first place." 

Marinette sighed and put her hands on her friend's in gratitude. "Thanks, Alya. That's just what I needed to hear." 

"Of course. As long as I'm always your #1 bestie." 

Marinette laughed and patted her hands reassuringly. "Always." 

"Hey, we got the game!" Adrien said, opening the door. Marinette flinched, startled, but Alya just patted her shoulder and shook her head at Adrien playfully. 

"Tsk, tsk, Adrien. Don't you know to knock before you enter a girl's room? Especially when she asked so nicely before for you to wait outside." 

Adrien blushed in embarrassment, but Nino just laughed.  

"Ease up on him, Alya. The dude's on edge today."  

Alya raised her an eyebrow at her boyfriend, who just whipped out his phone, typed for a second, and gave her a smile. Her phone buzzed, and she whipped it out. 

 _"It's about Marinette_ _which I will explain later_ _"_  

 _Buzz._  

 _"And yes it has to do with him having a surprise_ _e_ _crush on her"_  

Alya's eyes widened, her jaw dropping, and her phone buzzed again. 

 _"DON’T LOOK SO SURPRISED YOU MAKE IT OBVIOUS"_  

Alya sucked in her teeth and cleared her throat hastily. 

"So, uh, Marinette, you ready to destroy these guys today? I call being on your team!" Alya said, sending Nino a wink. If there was anything Alya was good at, it was keeping her cool to get the latest scoop. And boy, oh boy, was she looking forward to hearing this one. 

"No fair! You just chose the winning team!" Nino said, and Marinette laughed. There was always an argument over who got Marinette as their partner on partner missions, so she knew that a versus mission would just be unfair. 

"Well, you have Adrien, and he's almost as good as me!" She said. 

Adrien scoffed in mock offense. "I bet you won't be saying that when you lose!" He said, getting into the playful banter.  

"Oh, you're on! Nino, Adrien, catch!" She tossed them controllers, and handed Alya one. She shook hers and smiled at Marinette. 

"Ah, yes. Our weapons of mass destruction. What do you think, Marinette, should we go easy on them?"  

Marinette hummed, stroking the controller. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Adrien smiling right at her. Marinette felt a warmth in her stomach, like a wax seal being melted away. She could feel that confidence she had as Ladybug seeping into her, and for once, she didn't want to crumple under the fact that Adrien was smiling at her as if she was good news after a bad day. She loved Adrien like no tomorrow, but now she was realizing that it was for other reasons than she initially did, too. He was sweet and very, _very_ attractive, but also goofy and incredibly supportive of her talent, her ventures, and her decisions. He was awesome, knowing Mandarin Chinese and having fencing lessons, and he always had her back, helping her translate to her uncle and protecting her from the beginning of an akuma attack without knowing the full danger of what they were in. He really thought of her as his friend, and that knowledge was the only reason why she still even had hope for anything romantic between them. Because she thought of him as a friend, too. 

Marinette spun towards the boys in her swivel chair, stroking the controller like an evil mastermind would to a cat. She grinned widely and held the controller high in the air. 

"No mercy, no retreat!" She shouted, and Alya whooped, continuing their nerdy mantra. 

"Now prepare to get your butts beat!" 

"Oh ho, really now?" Adrien said, and he looked at his best friend, who was smiling menacingly. They turned to the girls and hopped off the bed. 

"You're on!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ill be updating soon to get to the (probably not)long awaited akuma attack! also, i want to shoutout to @bullysquadess because their fics are amazing and are the reasons why I started writing in the first place


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GET REKT pt. 2: Dang Flabbit Adrien

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVENT UPDATED IN SO LONG IM SORRY THIS HARDLY MAKES UP FOR IT WITHER BUT HERE WE AREEEEEEE

Adrien was determined to destroy Marinette.

  
At the game, that is. The group had been playing for about four hours straight now, raging, laughing, and teasing each other non stop. Marinette had put on Mortal Kombat X after getting tired of the failed missions in COD("What did I say about dying for each other?! This is Call of Duty, not a Disney movie!"), and she was currently undefeated after 17 brutal matches. However, after being challenged by Adrien to participate in the original MK battle, he seemed to have the upper hand. Nino and Alya were sitting on Marinette's bed, eating popcorn and watching on as if at a sporting event.

  
"Ten bucks Adrien loses." Alya said. Nino smirked as Adrien managed to land a special attack.

"You're on, babe."

"Ack, I hate Sub-Zero's attacks! Actually no, I take that back," Marinette raged as Adrien got her health down to halfway without taking a single hit.

"I hate Sub-Zero!"

Adrien laughed as he finished his last combo attack. "Oh, just admit that you're losing because I've got skill!"  
He flashed her an annoying grin, and her anger faltered as a twinge of déjà vu struck her. She shook it off rather quickly, though, since Adrien had just finished another three quick attacks and was about to deliver the winning blow.

She mashed the controller's buttons with lightning speed, sending punches, attacks, and combos in a flurry. Adrien sucked in his teeth and struggled to make any of his combos register, but Marinette was too fast for him. Eyebrows knit tightly and a scowl that could melt ice in an instant, Marinette got Adrien's health down to halfway, then to a quarter, and then finally, the two were equally vulnerable. Adrien took a deep breath, and Marinette gripped her controller tightly as she prepared for his next attack. She took a gasp, seeming to discover something on the screen, and a small smile creeped onto her lips.

"Adrien?" Marinette said quietly.

"Hm?" He grunted in reply, eyes fixated on the screen.

"I'm sorry."

Marinette hit R2 and initiated the move you could perform with a nearby tree trunk, and after its completion, held onto R2 and triangle, initiating the fatality and winning the match. Adrien's mouth fell open as Alya and Marinette shouted and cheered, and Nino put his head in his hands.

"I was gonna buy a soda and blueberry scones. Blueberry scones, Alya."

"Nuh-uh, you ain't gonna make me feel bad! You took the bet, you pay your debt!" She said, and Adrien shook his head in disbelief as his best friend reluctantly handed over a ten dollar bill.

"Do you guys think of these rhymes ahead of time, or do they just happen instinctively?"

Marinette dropped the controller onto the desk and leaned back into her chair. "Instinctively, since we're just that good."

The two giggled as their best friends bickered light-heartedly over their bet, until faint shrieks reached the room. The teenagers fell silent. No sound came for a few seconds, and Adrien almost thought it was thegames sound effects that made the noise, until another bout of shouts rose up outside. "What's going on?" Alya whispered to Nino. He simply shrugges, as unknowing as sh was. But Adrien knew what was happening. Irritation shadowed over him.

 _"Can't akumas choose a time where I'm not actually trying to have a normal life?"_ He thought bitterly, and he turned to Marinette with a serious look on his face.

"Can we turn on the news in the living room? I think something may be happening, like an akuma attack or something."

She nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing. Guys, come on!"

Marinette rushed out of her room, Adrien following right after. After hustling down the stairs and hopping the couch, Marinette swiftly grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, the anchorwoman of Paris already on-screen.

"It seems that another civilian possessed by the notorious "akuma" is rampaging through the streets of Paris. She calls herself, "Friendly Mirage", causing those affected by her powers to become distrusting and hostile towards those they are close to. Authorities estimate that Paris' dedicated heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, should arrive on scene any second now. I will continue to update as the situation progresses."

"No time to lose, then." Marinette muttered under her breath, and Adrien furrowed his eyebrows. It seemed kind of odd for her to say that in the first place, but something about the way Marinette said that reminded him of something........or someone, actually.

But before he could think of that any deeper, he remembered the design Marinette had made at the beginning of the week. His senses were on high alert, and he didn't even notice that Marinette had already left her house, giving some half-baked excuse to her friends about checking on the bakery before running off. Adrien jumped up and took off for her room.

"Adrien! Bro, what are you doing?!" Nino shouted from the living as Adrien swung the room door open.

"Nothing, I just forgot something!" He said, hastily shuffling through her desk drawers in search of her sketchpad. He moved her half-moon shaped box out of the way and finally found the sketch pad, at the bottom of her mess. He flipped the front page open, and the sketch fell out, as if it knew it had places to be and things to do.

"Alright, time to wow my two favorite girls." He said to himself, a warm smile on his face. He grabbed it, rolled it carefully, and shot out of the room. He passed by a confused Alya and Nino, waving goodbye, and burst into a sprint into the bakery.

Adrien reached into his shirt pocket to pull a very irritated Plagg. Before he could say anything, Plagg simply waved him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Transforme moi. I don't get enough cheese for this."

Adrien smiled wryly and shouted for his transformation. A cool transformation sequence later, Chat Noir was ready to take on the latest akuma; he just had to find Ladybug first. Chat rushed out of the bakery, taking on a fast-paced jog and turned his staff into a communicator. Ladybug immediately picked up, flashing her partner a smile.

"I was wondering when you were going to come around, Chat!"

"Well, cats do come and go as they please, but I have a duty to Paris, My Lady. And, if it means seeing you, well." He winked at her, and grinned as she watched him roll his eyes.

"Alright, kitty, we can play around later. First, we have to get this akuma away from downtown."

"I'm actually a block away from where you are, so you'll have backup in just a sec, Ladybug!"

"Good to hear. Hurry, Chat."

The call ended, and Chat took a running start as he aimed for the low canopy over a hotel's double doors. He jumped up, and bounced up to the roof, continuing his race from there. He sprinted across the rooftops of Paris, and soon enough, the parallax of Romanesque buildings turned into what looked like a scene taken out of an action movie. He sprang down and raced towards the akuma, who was dressed up like a cartoonish little girl, with braided pigtails, overalls, and a lollipop as her weapon of choice. The finishing touch to her outfit was a friendship necklace that was a halved heart, shaded completely black.

"Oh, and it looks like this good friend of yours has finally arrived, Ladybug!" She said, her voice sickly sweet. She gripped her oversized lollipop with both hands and shot him a sinister grin.

"Let's see if he stays that way once I'm finished with him."

She began to charge at Chat, but as he took a battle stance, Ladybug swung her yo-yo around her and whipped her around.

"Hey, you leave him alone! He's my partner, and I won't let him fall under your trap!"

She glanced at Chat for a split second, but he got the message: _Get her from behind._

Chat nodded and slowly began inching his way out of the akuma's peripheral vision. She threw her head up and cackled like a possessed witch.

"Oh, we'll see about that, Miss Ladybu-!" She froze suddenly, leaning to one side as if listening to someone. After a second, a creepy smile took up her face, and her eyes glinted as she stared Ladybug down, which made Ladybug shudder.

"Didn't Chat Noir fall under an akuma's clutches already?" She cooed, and Chat froze in his tracks. He saw Ladybug stiffen, but her face held no change in emotion.

"That wasn't his fault. And I saved him in the end! He's my trustworthy other half in this duo, and that's not going to change."

Chat Noir felt a warmth fill up his insides, and gave his lady a supportive and gracious smile. He continued his silent journey behind the akuma, careful not to ruin this opportunity to end this problem once and for all.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it won't happen again. Time after time, you've had to save the savior, and for what? A useless sidekick? A leather suited entourage?"

Chat pouted at this comment, but pushed ahead anyways. _"At least I look good in leather..."_

Ladybug was unfazed. "Just give it up, Friendly Mirage. You won't ruin our relationship. We have trust, and nothing can change that."

Chat was right behind the akuma now, and judging from the glances and slight nods he was getting from Ladybug, the akuma was inside of the girl's necklace. He reached his hand up cautiously over her shoulder, ready to snatch it off her neck.

"Then you know each other's real identities, then?"

Chat faltered as the akuma's comment caught him off guard, hitting him like a bus. Ladybug trusted him enough to fight with him in this part of his life, but not enough to share the her identity, the normal part. If she couldn't trust him with her life outside of the suit, did she really trust him at all?

 

It seemed to affect Ladybug, as well. Her mouth was slightly opened, but she didn't seem to know how to answer.

"Th-That's not the point."

"Oh, it's exactly the point, Miss Ladybug! Because if you don't know each other in real life, then are you really in each other's lives at all? Perhaps I can help clear that up, for you, eh,  _Chat Noir?"_

 

The akuma didn't hesitate to take advantage of this distraction, and unwrapped herself from the yo-yo's strings, elbowed Chat in the chest, and pointed the lollipop at him.

  
  
"See the truth behind her friendly mirage!" She shouted, and Chat Noir's vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i dont update in forever and when i do its a cliffhanger????? im such a jerk omg  
> (also ples leave comments if you like my stuff I live for comments and they really do encourage me to keep writing)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BRING ON THE ANGST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fyi whenever i update it is almost always while im procrastinating on writing an essay so let's hope for more essays in the future huh?

"Chat Noir!" 

Friendly Mirage cackled and shook her head. "Don't bother, Ladybug! In just a moment, the very partner you praised in front of me for being so loyal, will remember nothing except all the pain you've caused him. Then we'll see where your trusting friendship lies!" 

Ladybug watched as her friend sank to the ground, completely unconscious, and an anger overcame her, one that she had never felt during an akuma attack. This wasn't just a thirst for justice. This was pure, unbridled, rage. 

She roared as she rushed the akuma, swung her yo-yo with a violent thrust, and desperately tried to recapture Friendly Mirage. But she was too fast for her, whipping out of the way and smiling as if it were all just a game. 

Hawk Moth grinned as he saw an enraged Ladybug, blind to her own self-destructive tactics, lunge after his akuma over and over, unaware of a staggering Chat Noir rising to his feet behind her. 

"Finally. After multiple attempts at taking the two on at the same time, I learned that I must divide them, turn them against each other in order to win. After all, a divide house cannot stand, non?" 

He laughed sinisterly, his voice echoing as victory seemed to be so close, only barely out of reach. 

"But they are both strong. I could not turn them against each other with such a strong bond in the way. Ladybug was too smart, too resilient to fool. But she truly cares for the poor excuse of a hero named Chat Noir. She, though she doesn't realize it, tends to let her emotions cloud her thoughts if it concerns him. So, destroy the relationship," He said, and he smiled. 

"And the divided house collapses." 

"Stop-Moving!" Ladybug shouted, swinging her yo-yo once again. The akuma was spinning her around in circles as they continued this fruitless game of cat and mouse, and Ladybug still hadn't realized that she was tiring herself out. 

 _"I need to get that necklace. I need to save Chat. I need to get that necklace. I need to save Chat."_ Marinette thought over and over, her mind focused only on destroying that necklace and de-evilizing that akuma before Chat Noir awoke. Nothing, _no one_ , was going to make Chat Noir turn against her this way. She's had to deal with him being controlled like a puppet and bent on destroying her simply because of the effects of a superficial hatred he was unwillingly given through an akuma. He was not in control of his actions then. He was acting out of character, in a way he would never act towards her in a million years. She knew he didn't mean it. But this? This was just plain _cruel_. His insecurities, doubts, and fears were being used against him to turn her against him, and the worst part about all of it: it was all very real. Ladybug just couldn't handle this. She couldn’t handle any sort of rejection as Marinette, and there's only so much she can take as Ladybug. She was not going to let Hawk Moth get away with this sick manipulation of her partner-of her best friend. 

 Then she heard him call out. 

"Ladybug?" 

She whipped around, panting breathlessly, unthinking of how vulnerable she was to the akuma. Friendly Mirage set to lunge at her, but Hawk Moth stopped her in her tracks. 

"No! Let them fight it out. She is already tiring herself to exhaustion. Let him break her. Then, you take their Miraculouses, and have succeeded in exposing the most fake friendship in all of Paris!" 

Friendly Mirage nodded, smiling. "Alright, Papillon. I'll stay in my lane..." 

She sank into the shadows, slipping away into a narrow alleyway behind the closest building. 

"For now." 

"Chat, I need you to focus." Ladybug said warily, hunching back as Chat Noir staggered towards her. 

"You never trusted me." He said, his voice cracking. "Constant rejection, leading me on, and for what? Nothing. That's all I was to you, right? Nothing?" 

Ladybug felt a lump form in her throat as she watched a heartbroken Chat Noir stare her down, gripping his staff in an intimidating pose. 

"Ch-Chat, you know that's not true. You're my partner, my best friend-" 

"Ha! Your best friend?" He said, and he chuckled weakly, tears falling from his eyes like heavy raindrops. "Best friends know each other like the back of their hands. I've never seen the back of your hand." 

Ladybug was stepping back as he staggering turned into a slow march, and she watched as his sorrow slowly turned into fury. 

"You'll never trust me with anything important, because you don't think I can handle anything important! You think that I'm just your sidekick, who you can kick around like a clueless puppy, right? You only think of me as dead weight you have to carry around!" 

Ladybug swallowed, struggling hopelessly to hold back a sob. 

"L-Lucky Charm!" She shouted, and swung her yo-yo up into the air, and prayed for a way to defeat this akuma ASAP. However, all that fell into her hands was a handkerchief. 

 _"Are you kidding me? Is it just expecting me to sop up Chat Noir's tears or something?"_ She thought in frustration, but was interrupted as Chat took another step towards her. Her heart beat quickened and she clutched the handkerchief to her chest, never before experiencing such a fear of her partner before. 

"Chat, please, listen to me! You and I are a team, an inseparable package. I trust you with my life! Every single time we fight akumas together, I trust that when it comes down to it, you'll do the right thing. For Paris, if not for me. Chat, please," Ladybug pleaded, and the sob that she had tried so hard to hold back escaped, racking her chest. "Can't you see that you matter to me?" 

Chat Noir's facial expression simply hardened.  

"How do you expect me to see something that doesn't exist?" 

He raised his staff up, and scoffed wryly. 

"Let me guess; the same way you do." 

He struck down with a deadly force, a primitive roar escaping the bowels of his chest. Ladybug rolled out of the way, bounced behind him, and jumped him. Two seconds later, Chat Noir's staff was ten feet away, and he was in choke hold, grasping at a crying Ladybug's arms as she kept a fierce grip around him. 

"Chat, please, just calm down. Just listen to me." She whispered, and another heart-wrenching sob escaped her. He continued to struggle fruitlessly, whispering something that was almost inaudible. Ladybug loosened her grip, intent on hearing his plea. 

"Th-The design! Y-Y-You're gonna crush it!" 

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What was he talking about? She was hit with a wave of déjà vu, and was suddenly brought back to the beginning of the week. 

 _"You should show your design to Ladybug!"_  

A small gasp left her lips. It couldn't be. Adrien must have given it to Chat Noir somehow as he made his way over here, right? He was at the bakery, probably worried for her, wondering where she was. But this new idea, this notion, that these two people that meant so much to her could in fact be one....... 

No. It couldn't be him. But it didn't hurt to make sure she was right. 

Ladybug lessened her grip, ever so slightly, reaching for the corner of paper slipping out of Chat Noir's belt, until she was ambushed from behind, knocking the duo apart. 

"Her earrings! They're her Miraculouses!" He shouted, and he slammed his staff down in pure excitement. "Get them!" 

Friendly Mirage lunged again, but as she prepared to strike, Ladybug threw the handkerchief in her face, slid underneath her, and kicked her lollipop out of her hand.  

"Stop her!" Hawk Moth roared in the akuma's ear. She growled, snatched the handkerchief off of her face, and sped ahead of Ladybug. She didn't get very far, though, as she fell face first on the ground as Ladybug grab her feet and tripped her. 

"If you wanna act like a kid, then I call playground rules!" She said, and rushed after the lollipop with a determination that could have moved mountains.  

"NO!" Three voices cried in unison, and with one fell swoop, Ladybug snatched the lollipop and snapped it in half. A black and violet akuma fluttered out, and Ladybug reared her arm back, yo-yo in hand.  

"Time to de-evilize!" She said, a swelling sensation of victory filling up her insides and spilling out of her in the form of a smile as she captured the akuma, swung the yo-yo back into her hand, and clicked it open, to release a pure white butterfly. It fluttered away, and with a content sigh, said, 

"Bye bye, little butterfly." 

Grinning with pride, she tossed the handkerchief into the air, and shouted "Miraculous Ladybug!" 

She felt the magic of good luck wash over her like a warm tide of joy, and just like that, it was over. The girl turned out to be her friend Rose, from school. As she watched the confused sweetheart look around in perplexion, she shook her head. 

 _"I am definitely going to give a piece of my mind to_ _who_ _ever_ _hurt Rose this bad tomorrow."_ She thought. But that was tomorrow. Now, she could enjoy some more relaxing time with her best friends after saving Paris once again. 

"L-Ladybug?" 

She whipped around to find a tear-stained Chat Noir gaze at her, lost in his thoughts. 

"What happened? Oh geez, my throat...." He said, tilting his head to the side as he rubbed his neck. 

Ladybug sighed and gave him a patient smile.

"You were taken advantage of by an akuma once again, kitty."

He groaned, and sat on the ground in dejection. "Great. Really living up to my superhero reputation aren't I?"

The bitterness in his tone struck her all too much as when he was affected by the akuma.

"Chat, you know that you're a great hero." Her throat threatened to close up on her, but she swallowed it away. She had a friend to comfort now.

She walked over to him, sat on the ground next to him, and slipped the paper from behind him out of his belt.

"But first, you'll always be my best friend."

She unrolled the paper to reveal her very own Ladybug design in front of her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but these weren't of sorrow.

"Oh, that's a design for a possible new outift -"

"Yeah, I know." She said. He looked at her, confused by her odd interruption, but she just turned to him and let the tears roll down her cheeks, smiling widely.

"I did make this, after all, Adrien."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS NOT OVER YET FOLKS HaHA


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE END 
> 
> Alternately titled: "Thank God for Adrien 'what's personal space' Agreste"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long for me to post and its utter shit too lmaoooooooooooooooo
> 
> but enjoy anyways!!!!

He had stopped breathing. 

He didn't think he could ever breathe again. 

Ladybug was smiling at him with a knowledge that had yet to sink into Adrien's mind. She knew who he was, and she just gave him the hint of the century to let on who she was. 

But it refused to click. 

"Your......design.......?" He said slowly, the words void of meaning, even as they left his lips. Ladybug was about to reply, but was interrupted by the familiar beep of a Miraculous about to wear off. Her eyes flitted about, and Chat Noir turned to see the usual crowd of civilians that formed whenever they finished dealing with an akuma. He felt someone take his hand, and Ladybug was dragging him off. 

"Here, I'll show you, kitty." She said, pushing through the crowd with a strained smile. Adrien was in too much of a state of shock to protest or even ask what she meant, and soon enough, they were in a hidden alley. His Miraculous beeped this time, and Chat Noir snapped out of his daze. 

"M-My lady, are you going to show me.....your secret identity?" He asked, eyes wide with surprise. She nodded.  

"You seem to be having a hard time figuring out who I am, Adrien. So why not? If I know _your_ identity, then-" 

"You really know who I am." He stated in absolute awe. She simply shrugged, and Chat almost smiled, but something tugged at him, like some part of this was wrong. So she knew who he was in real life. That didn't mean she had to give up her privacy just to make things even between them. She had always wanted to keep herself secret. It would endanger her life and his own if they knew each other as civilians. Plus, the last thing he wanted to do was to make his Lady feel like she owed something to him. Why was she doing this now? 

"B-but your secret identity is important to you!" He stammered. "I don't want you to reveal yourself because you feel obligated to! It wouldn't be right, and I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to-" 

"No, Adrien, it's okay!" She said, grabbing his arm in reassurance. "I want to. I really do." 

He gazed into her startling blue eyes, and she gave him a small smile. 

"Alright. Let's piece these clues together, okay, Adrien?"  

She pulled out the design from her yo-yo strap and unfolded it. Chat Noir scanned the design to see if it was smudged or in any way ruined, but it was still in perfect condition. He mentally sighed with relief.

 _"How lucky."_ He thought, smirking to himself. 

"So, Marinette drew this design, right?" She said. Chat Noir nodded his head slowly.  

"Okay, good. Now I," She said, pointing to herself, "Said that this was my design. But you told Marinette that you wanted to show this to me, because it was her design of me. Still with me?" 

Chat stared at the design. He took a few seconds before he finally nodded. 

"Good. Now, this design can't have been drawn by two people at the same time, right? So, what does that imply, Adrien?" 

And that's where Adrien's mind stopped making connections. There just couldn't be a bridge between the two worlds he experienced. He knew Ladybug had a secret identity, but Marinette being Ladybug? He just couldn't piece it together. His mind refused to give him this revelation Ladybug seemed to have already had. It wasn't because they were _absolutely_ different, though. They were confident, adventurous, creative, and intelligent. They looked exactly the same, too. And they were both his best friends, who cared about him, and who he cared about. 

"Oh my god." He whispered. Their Miraculous's beeped in unison, and the alley was a glow for a split second, and just like that, Marinette was standing in front of Adrien. His best friend, his partner, and the love of his life was standing in front of him  

"Oh my god!" He shouted, and scooped her up in a hug, spinning her around and feeling pure joy. She giggled in his ear as the two spun around, and he touched his forehead to hers. 

"Marinette! You're Ladybug!" He shouted, and Marinette covered his mouth in haste. Her eyes were wide, but as the two made eye contact, she burst out in laughter. 

"Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir. I can't believe I didn't figure it out after all those puns! You spill over with Chat Noir essence!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Adrien, you should really cool it with the puns before you give away your secret identity through some bad joke."

"Aww, but my puns are paw-some! Really, I do a purr-fect job of keeping my secret identity, My Lady. But if you want me to, I'll watch what I say meow."

Marinette stared at him in annoyance, which just made Adrien smile widely at her. Soon enough, neither could keep a straight face any long. They giggled hysterically, and ended up hugging each other, trying to muffle their laughter. Adrien sighed, cherishing the feeling of Lady-Of  _Marinette_ in his arms, until he began to realize what this meant about his previous actions towards her as Ladybug.

Many  _embarrassing_ previous actions.

"Oh my god." Adrien said, and he groaned in shame. Marinette was confused by his sudden mood change, but he just shook his head in embarrassment. 

"I flirted with Marinette Dupain-Cheng." He said, his face covered in a red hot blush Marinette thought would never be induced by her. "I _flirted_ with you, and you didn't even bat an eye." 

"Well, technically, you flirted with Ladybug. How was I supposed to know?" She said dejectedly, her voice vibrating as she rested her head on Adrien's chest again.

"But _you're_ Ladybug!" He said. He smiled widely and hugged her tighter. "Thank god, too. I thought I was going to have to make a really difficult choice sometime soon." 

Marinette lifted her head and stared at Adrien, a light blush on her cheeks. Adrien felt his face heat up even more, and she raised an eyebrow. 

"And what would that have been, Adrien?" She said mischievously. She leaned in closer to his face, her blue eyes lighting up playfully. She brushed her hand across his arm, making Adrien's skin feel electric.  

"Y-you know, I think I had an easier time to talk to you when you would always stutter. Where did that stutter go?" Adrien managed. Marinette laughed and rested her head on his chest again, sighing contently. He smiled, refraining from giving a sigh of relief. He doesn't need to make things awkward. She doesn't seem to suspect he had a crush on both Ladybug and her, and he isn't in a rush to make that apparent anytime soon. 

Marinette just savored the moment. She savored the fact that, while unaware it was her underneath the mask, that Adrien flirted with her when she acted like who she really was around him. She wasn't a stuttering, shy mess, but someone who could actually dish it as well as they could take it. 

And he liked her. 

Sure, Adrien thinks he got her to drop the subject for now. But boy oh boy, is she going to have a little _chat_ with him about it.  

But for now, their #2 priorities came to mind. 

"What about our families? What about Nino and Alya?" Adrien asked. Marinette looked at him pensively, and sighed in resignation. 

"I don't think we should tell them yet. My parent's are burdened with the bakery and having to take care of me as it is, and I'm.....not sure Alya's ready for that information just yet." 

Adrien nodded. "Ladybug's number one fan would probably have a heart attack with that information. And I'd probably never hear the end of it from Nino...." 

Marinette giggled. "Yeah. And I think it's best to keep this a secret from your dad, too." 

"Oh, of course." He said. "It's not like he'd care much, but he'd probably be mad about putting my appearance in such jeopardy." 

"Trust me, your appearance is never in jeopardy." Marinette said, and squeaked once she realized she had said that aloud. Adrien grinned his trademark Chat Noir smile and leaned into her. 

"What was that, My Lady? That almost sounded like a compliment." 

Marinette rolled her eyes, cheeks giving her away as they turned bright pink. Adrien laughed and hugged her tighter. 

"I'm just kidding. But I gotta say, revenge is sweet." 

"Whatever, you silly cat." 

"HEY ALYA, I FOUND THEM!" 

The two jumped apart as Nino called his girlfriend over. He turned to them and held his hands up.  

"Whoa, sorry, dudes! Were you guys having a moment or something? Do you need space?" 

"Space? Why would they need space?" Alya said, jogging over as she put away her phone.  

"Oh, they were just hugging and laughing. I didn't know if I like, killed the mood or something." 

Alya turned and gaped at the two friends, who were both red as beets. 

"I-It's not what you think, Alya! We were just-I was-The akuma-" 

Adrien burst out laughing, which startled everyone around him. He was doubled over, and he sent Marinette a mischievous grin. 

"There's the stutter!" 

Marinette stared at Adrien for a second, and suddenly started to laugh along with him. 

"Of course _you_ would bring that up now!" She joked, and Adrien just laughed harder. Nino and Alya glanced at each other in bewilderment. 

"Uh, I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Hey, can we go back to your place, Marinette? I think the game is still paused." 

Marinette's hand flew to her mouth in realization. "Oh shoot, it is! That's gonna burn onto my screen!" 

"Alright, let's go." Adrien said, taking Marinette's hand. This made Alya's eyebrows shoot up, but Marinette just sheepishly shrugged. She turned to Adrien and nodded. 

"I'll race you!" She said, and burst into a sprint, already out of the alleyway before Adrien had time to register what she had said. 

"Hey, that's cheating!" He shouted after her, and was only met with distant giggles. Nino shot him a thumbs up, making Adrien blush again, and he raced after her, leaving Nino and Alya behind as the two weaved to and fro, making their way through Paris as partners once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you're welcome


	7. #DinnerWithTheFam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> R E S U R R E C T I O N
> 
> (why is there a new chapter?????????? because I'm a piece of trash that doesn't know when to stop)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do I plan on writing more chapters? yes?? I mean I just can't not continue this story we never even got the DESIGNS made, or adrien MODELLING for the design, and FLUFF ALL AROUND, so you see, your honor,

Marinette giggled breathlessly, throwing the bakery door open as Adrien chased right after. Her parents started, surprised by the sudden burst of energy their daughter seemed to have gotten so spontaneously.

 

"Marinette, are you okay? We were up in the attic, and then there was a commotion, and everyone was gone-"

 

Marinette simply waved at them and made for the stairs, leaving her parents in a state of confusion. Adrien paused, facing her parents and flashing them a dazzling smile.

 

"She forgot to turn off her computer after we all rushed out to see the akuma attack, and she really doesn't want her screen to burn. Hope you don't mind, I was the one that kind of rushed us all out to see the akuma." He said, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically. Sabine folded her arms, not completely convinced, but Tom melted under the boy's innocent apology.

 

"Oh, it's all right, son! Just tell Marinette to give us a heads up before you all rush out next time. We worry, you know?" He said with a smile. The bakery door opened to let in two out-of-breath best friends. Alya was holding onto the bakery counter as Nino hung his head down, hands on his knees, as they tried to catch their breath.

 

"Boy, when-did you-and Mari-get so dang fast?" Alya panted, and Adrien simply shrugged. 

 

"We're both pretty athletic, I guess." He said slyly, trying to hold back the mischievous grin that tried to reply to Alya's utter confusion. 

 

"Alright, disaster averted!" Marinette shouted from above, and quick footsteps were heard coming down the stairs in a rush. Marinette pushed through the door into the bakery and sighed, flashing her parent's an apologetic smile.

 

"Sorry, mamon and papa, we all went out to see the akuma because I really wanted to find was going on, and-"

 

"Oh, really now? But Adrien said that it was  _ his  _ idea to go see the akuma attack in the first place." Mama Sabine said, giving her daughter a knowing look that made her tense up. Usually, this would be something she would laugh off, but Adrien was tense as well; Sabine sounded like she suspected something other than the two kids taking the blame.

 

Nino laughed as he fully recuperated from his sprint over, saving the two from having to answer. "Mrs. Cheng, Adrien and Marinette are just too nice for their own good. You know that." 

 

Sabine hummed and nodded. "That's true." She said, and simply waved it off. Marinette breathed once more, realizing she had been holding her breath this entire time.

 

"Alright, well, Alya, Nino, are you two going to stay for dinner tonight? Because you should call your parents now so that I don't have to worry about you two getting in trouble."

 

The two teens nodded and whipped out their phones, fingers rapidly typing with ease. Tom put his arm around his wife's shoulders, and the two chattered as they walked back into the house. Adrien tilted his head slightly at Marinette.

 

"They stay for dinner often?" He asked, and Marinette nodded her head. She met his gaze, a beautiful smile gracing her features, and Adrien's heart seized up. His breath cut short, but he remained composed.

 

"Yeah, and I would ask for you to stay, but you said the limo was going to pick you up, right?"

 

Adrien's eyes widened, and went completely pale. He whipped out his phone and froze in disbelief.

 

"I-It's seven? Seven in the evening?! And the Gorilla isn't here yet?! I knew Natalie said he was going to be late, but-"

 

His phone buzzed, and the entire bakery was silent. Marinette glanced at Alya nervously. She simply shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Nino looked completely and utterly perplexed.

 

"Dude, what did Natalie say about the Gorilla being late? He is literally your personal chauffeur. Your dad said that he  _ had  _ to pick you up after school everyday if you wanted to go." He reasoned. Adrien groaned, and everyone turned to him in confusion.

 

"Natalie said that I have to call my dad. He wants to talk to me about my......privileges." He said, his voice sounding bitter as he finished reading the text. He excused himself and left the bakery, holding the phone up to his ear as his entire body went stiff. Marinette held her hands against her chest in worry, hoping she hadn't caused Adrien any trouble with his father. Alya walked over and pulled her into a hug.

 

"It's gonna be okay, girl. Maybe his dad just wants to check up on him, make sure he's okay. Right, Nino?" She said to her boyfriend, nodding towards Marinette pleadingly.

 

"Oh-Uh, yeah! Mr. Agreste just wants the best for Adrien. Though that usually means not letting do what he wants, most of the time." He added helpfully. Alya shook her head and closed her eyes. The boy was cute, but he wasn't the best at comforting people.

 

Marinette stared at her crush longingly, still holding on the slightest of hopes that someway, somehow, luck would turn her way and Adrien's way for once and let him stay. 

 

"Adrien, Natalie has informed me that you are still currently at the Dupain-Cheng's. How-"

 

"Yes, I am, Father. But I'm here because Natalie said to find somewhere safe to wait while the Gorilla was delayed in picking me up." He said, the excuse rolling of his tongue smoothly and without regret. He was ready to defend the time he spent at Marinette's with every single ounce of fight he had. His Lady was counting on him, and he wasn't going to let her down.

 

"What? She told me that you had requested to stay the night at her house. I merely called to see if the girl's parents were alright with letting you spend the night, or if I should send the chauffeur to pick you up."

 

Adrien's mouth hung open in disbelief. Natalie did....what? He smiled to himself, tears threatening to spill over as he swore he would thank Natalie when he saw her again.

 

"Ah, y-yes. I just-I thought-"

 

"Excuses don't make your case look any better, Adrien." His father said flatly, and Adrien's shoulders slumped. Great, he had just ruined his chance at the best day ever. 

 

"But, I...I understand why you'd be so quick to defend yourself in such a way. I tend to be a bit strict when it comes to your friends, after all. Marinette is a nice girl, very ambitious and creative. I remember her from the fashion contest you and I participated in for your school. Despite my intuition, I find her to be very trustworthy. She's a good friend for my son."

 

Adrien's heart swelled with pride as his father admission continued. "Yes, she is indeed, Father. I haven't asked yet, since I've been too caught up with other activities throughout the day, but I promise to call you back in ten minutes to tell you what they said."

 

"Good. Responsibility is very important in earning trust, Adrien. You are doing well in displaying how responsible you've become. I'm proud. Call Natalie if you need a change of clothes right now, and don't forget to call the chauffeur in the morning to pick you up."

 

"Yes, Papa. Thank you so much, u-uh I'll call you in a bit, okay? Goodbye!" Adrien said in excitement, unaware that he called his father Papa. It caught Gabriel off-guard.

 

"Er-Uh, yes, okay... son. Good bye." He said quickly, and hung up. Adrien put his hands up and cheered wildly, startling Plagg inside his coat. 

 

"Kid, chow are you going to hide me while you're here?" He asked. Adrien shook his head at him in disbelief.

 

"Marinette already knows I'm Chat Noir, Plagg." He reminded him. Plagg rolled his eyes and pointed to a Nino desperately trying to comfort a concerned Marinette, who was in the arms of an irritated Alya.

 

"What about those two lovebirds, hmm?" He said in annoyance. Adrien sucked in a long breath through his teeth and began to text Natalie.

 

"Um, I guess you're going to just have to hide in my duffel bag most of the night. Sorry, Plagg." He said. Plagg huffed, and Adrien simply smiled, eyes still on his phone.

 

"I'll ask the chef to slip a slice of camembert in tightly  _ sealed  _ box inside, despite the fact that you'll probably find a way to stink up my bag anyways. That any consolation?" He said with a smirk, and Plagg stared at him with a wide smile. He flew to him and hugged his arm.

 

"Now you're speaking my language, kid!"

 

Marinette jumped as Adrien entered the bakery once more, and her tension melted away as Adrien grinned wider than she'd ever seen him smile before.

 

"Um, Natalie somehow convinced my dad to let me spend the night?" He said finally. No one said anything for a good four seconds, and it suddenly hit everyone all at once; Adrien was going to stay. Marinette jumped up and shouted, enveloping Adrien in a relieved hug. The others soon joined in, and Sabine and Tom entered the bakery to a very cute, if very cliche, group hug.

 

"Uh, I came in to ask if Sabine needed to make a plate for another-"

 

"YES!" The four shouted in unison, and Sabine laughed as her husband looked completely surprised by the loud, gracious answer he received. Marinette let go and shyly went up to her parents, a small smile tugging on her lips.

 

“Um, actually, Mamon, Papa, could you let them stay the night? Alya and Nino could ask their parents, and Adrien’s dad already said it was okay, so-”

 

“Of course! I think that’s alright with your mother and I, ey, Sabine?” Her dad said with a wide smile. Sabine smiled and nodded.

 

“If Marinette doesn’t mind spending the night in a sleeping bag, you four can all stay in the living room for a sleepover. Make sure to get your parent’s permission, you two, alright? Now come on, Marinette, help me set the table for our guests.”

 

“Okay, maman!” She exclaimed graciously, and beckoned for her friends to come into the house excitedly. Nino patted Adrien on the back and walked next to Alya, following Adrien as they walked into Marinette’s house, buzzing with glee.

 

Sabine had prepared the largest pot of pasta alfredo Adrien had ever seen, bringing out an old table they reserved for when they had lots of guests over. As he took a seat between Nino and Marinette, he felt his stomach flutter with pure joy. This felt like joy, and for once in what felt like forever, Adrien felt like everything was going to be okay.

 

“Adrien, how much would you like, dear?” Sabine asked as she poured globs of the delicious dish onto his plate. Adrien’s mouth watered, and he could hear Marinette giggle.

 

“Um, that’s good, thank you.” He said politely. Sabine hummed and swiped the bowl once more, sneaking another mound of the pasta onto his plate before he could protest. Not that he was going to. The kids joked and laughed, talking about school, shows, and anything they could think of, as if trying to pack an entire lifetime’s worth of memories into that one dinner. At some point throughout the dinner, the four kids made it their goal to psych Marinette’s parents out into looking at the ceiling for no reason. They kept giggling and looking up, shushing each other with mock irritation to try and befuddle Sabine and Tom. Finally, Tom put his hands on the table and looked up at the ceiling, and closed his eyes in defeat as everyone erupted in laughter, his own wife chuckling as the kids went wild. Sabine cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure.

 

“Alright, alright, kids, you’ve had your fun. Do you all have a change of clothes for spending the night?”

 

“My mom’s going to drop off my clothes in like, five minutes, Mrs. Cheng.” Alya said, and Nino nodded.

 

“My mom’s on her way, too.”

 

“Natalie should be here any second now, Mrs. Cheng.” Adrien confirmed, and Sabine smiled warmly at him. 

 

“All right. If you kids don’t mind cleaning up with Marinette, you can go ahead and head into the living room to hang out, and Tom and I will leave you in peace.” Sabine said. Everyone, Tom included, raised their eyebrows in disbelief, and Sabine chuckled, raising her hands up in surrender.

 

“Okay, as much as we possibly can. Have fun, okay? Don’t stay up too late, alright Marinette?”

 

“Yes, maman!” She chirped, and her parents waved goodbye as they went into their room, leaving the kids to tease Marinette who has struggling to carry all six plates and six cups at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> daddy agreste????? came out of nowhere??????????? but i regret nothing #YOLO
> 
> (also I've been watching fuller house too much group hugs everywhere)
> 
> P.S. at the end of this chapter imagine the kids chanting "HOO HOO HOO HOO HOO"


	8. PJ's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fluffy moments and fluffy pants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of short, but only because I really wanted to make a pun for the next chapter that need to be led up to with THIS chapter
> 
> anyways

“Thank you again, Natalie!” Adrien shouted as Natalie’s black car drove off. He clutched his duffel bag close to his chest, as if it were his lifeline, and made his way back inside the bakery. He unzipped the bag and rifled through it, making sure that he had everything he needed for the night. Plagg zipped out of his shirt and straight into the bag, and Adrien rolled his eyes as Plagg squealed with joy.

 

“The camembert is here!” Plagg sang, and he zipped out of the bag and straight back into Adrien’s shirt.

 

“You’re welcome.” Adrien said sarcastically, and stuck his hand inside his bag again. He pulled out his favorite pair of pajamas, an old college t-shirt his mother used to wear that read, “Go Peacocks!” and the name of her university, and soft flannel pants spotted with ladybugs. He smiled to himself and shoved the clothes back inside, entering Marinette’s house once again.

 

Marinette yawned as her friend and her began changing in her room. She obviously wanted to be as far away from Adrien as possible while there was a possibility of him seeing her partially nude, and Alya also wanted to initiate an interrogation about certain…..suspicious actions.

 

“So, what was that whole hugging thing with Adrien about? Nino said that you guy’s were totally up on each other when he found you guys.” Alya crooned, and Marinette’s faced instinctively heated up, betraying her cool exterior.

 

“We were both caught in the middle of the akuma fight, and we made it out together. It was a sort of “we-survived”, spur of the moment thing, I suppose. And we were not ‘up on each other’” Marinette explained with the slightest hint of annoyance. Alya chuckled to herself as she slipped into the red boxer-like shorts she prefered to sleep in. 

 

“Yeah, I know, you don’t feel that kind of way about  _ anyone.  _ It’s just, you know, weird that you guys have been bonding so easily this week, and then boom, you’re all buddy-buddy together, doing mushy stuff like hugging in alleyways.”

 

Marinette snorted. “Hugging in alleyways is specifically mushy?”

 

Alya rolled her eyes as she took off her shirt, chucking it at Marinette’s head. Marinette easily dodged it, ducking down and picking up her favorite pair of pajama pants to sleep in: black fuzzy pants with green cat paws on it. She had indeed bought it because of its representation of her partner, and she shook her head as she kicked off her jeans.

 

_ “He’s not gonna let me forget this anytime soon.” _

 

“No, not that specifically, but you know what I mean, girl. I guess what I’m trying to get at is: I’m proud of you.” Alya said with a wide smile, putting on a shirt that was a birthday gift from Marinette that read, “What’s the wifi password?”. She handed Marinette her pajama shirt(it was an art lover’s shirt; had drawings of paintbrushes, colored pencils, stacks of paper, etc.), and pinched her cheek.

 

“ You’ve finally managed to muster out some eligible language in front of Adrien, and that led to spending time with him, which led to this beautiful friendship. Next step: makin’ out!”

 

Marinette scoffed and shoved her friend in the shoulder. Alya simply laughed, and Marinette shook her head as she put her shirt on, though she couldn’t help but smile a wide, stupid grin.

 

“Bro, this whole celeb crush on Ladybug thing is weirder than I thought.” Nino said as Adrien slipped on his pajama pants. Adrien rolled his eyes, cheeks burning at the thought of Marinette coming downstairs and noticing his pants, and putting two and two together.

 

“Can’t you just let me live for like, two seconds, Nino? I’m trying to enjoy my first sleepover here.”

 

Nino waved him off, slipping on his headphones. 

 

“Yeah, yeah. What’s a sleepover without total embrassment and talking about crushes?”

 

He sank into the couch, wearing a simple white tank top and black basketball shorts as he flipped through his phone. Adrien whipped out his own phone and pulled up Marinette’s conversation. He smiled as he remembered, for what seemed like the fiftieth time, how he had been able to get her number earlier that week.

 

_ “Hey, Mari, do you think I could actually come over and, I don’t know, help model for some of your Chat Noir designs?” He suggested oh-so-subtly. Marinette’s eyes widen in response, and she smiled graciously. _

 

_ “Totally! I don’t have any time after school this week, but maybe Friday or Saturday would work.” _

 

_ Adrien tapped on his chin. He knew he had only a few hours both those days between photoshoots, and without a determined time, he’d have no chance of convincing his father to go. He whipped out his phone, texted Natalie a question about freetime on Friday, and flashed Marinette a smile. _

 

_ “Well, can you give me your number? It’d be easier for you to text me when you’re free, and vice versa.” _

 

_ Marinette’s cheeks flushed, and though she tried to play it cool, Adrien felt his chest flutter with victory as she typed her number into his phone. She handed it back to him with a small smile. _

 

_ “There you go, Adrien.” _

 

He stared at her name on his phone, followed by a heart tied with a bow she had decided to add in. He smirked and tapped on her name to edit it, and added a Ladybug in front of her name, just for kicks.

 

His phone buzzed in his hand, and a grey bubble appeared on the screen.

 

_ “Alya and I are set. You guys good? Wouldn’t want to intrude if you guys aren’t:)” _

 

Adrien smiled and replied, _“Of course, My Lady, go ahead and come down. You know you’d never_ _bug me;)”_

 

Adrien sniggered, and her reply was immediate.

 

_ “Do not” _

 

“Boys, are you ready to have some fun!” Alya shouted down the stairs, and Adrien turned to see Alya holding some sort of speaker, with a giggling Marinette in pursuit. He automatically spotted the cat paws on her pants, and a wide grin split onto his face, his heart swelling with pride.

 

“Those pants sure are the cat’s meow, Marinette.” Adrien commented as the two girls passed by. Marinette turned around and shook her head at him, but looked down at his own pants and smirked.

 

“Ditto, Adrien.”

 

Adrien blushed, crossing his arms as Nino got up from the couch in excitement.

 

“Yo babe, can I put on my playlist? I just updated it like, two seconds ago, and-”

 

“Uh-uh!” Alya said, putting her finger up to her boyfriend’s mouth. “I’m the DJ for tonight. Our friends have been too busy with God knows what to keep up with the times-I mean, Adrien literally just said ‘cat’s meow’ unironically; can you believe him? Anyways,” Alya continued, plugging her phone into the AUX chord with a joyful smile.

 

“I’m about to play the best songs of all time, including some of mine and Mari’s favorites, so get ready boys!” She said, and with one swift motion, she pressed play.

  
“It’s time to funk this party up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOH
> 
> DOH-DOH DOH DOH-DOH DOH
> 
> DOH DOH


	9. STOP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WAIT A MINUTE

“Fill my cup, pour some liquor in it!”

 

Marinette tossed Alya some sunglasses, grabbed her hairbrush, and put on a pair of sunglasses on her own to put on a show for Adrien and Nino. Nino covered his eyes in shame of his girlfriend’s choice of music, but Adrien just seemed confused.

 

“Take a sip, sign a check,” Marinette cupped her hands around her mouth for emphasis. “Julio, get the stretch!”

 

“This has been going on for an entire sixty seconds, and I still don’t know what’s happening. Nino, what is even going on right now?” Adrien asked Nino, and turned to him for some kind of logical answer, but was only met with a mischievous smile and the next lyric.

 

“Ride to Harlem, Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi!” He shouted as he jumped up and took Alya’s hand, and Marinette reached out her own to Adrien. He blushed, but was still completely confused as to what was going on.

 

“I thought you didn’t know these kinds of songs either? This song is completely American. How even….” Adrien said quizzically, and Marinette laughed, lowering her glasses to meet his gaze.

 

“There’s a lot of stuff I need to catch up on, but if there’s something that anyone can understand worldwide, it’s that...” She drawled on, and she put up her glasses once more.

 

“I’m too hot,” She sang, and her friends chorused back, “Hot damn!”

 

Marinette looked back at him and spun around. “Call the police and the firemen!”

 

Adrien’s mind flared with recognition, to an interview where one of the straggling American interns had been playing this song out loud on repeat from their phone. He couldn’t remember any of the other lyrics, the the chorus of the song had been seared into his mind. He smiled and snatched Marinette’s glasses off of her face, sending her a cheshire cat grin as he slipped them on.

 

“I’m too hot, hot damn, make a dragon wanna retire man,” He said, stepping onto the the sofa with the grandeur of a thespian. Marinette doubled over in laughter as Alya and Nino looked on in horror at the excitable Adrien, still spouting out lyrics.

 

“We’ve created a monster.” Nino whispered to Alya, and she nodded, grabbing her phone and picking a new song.

 

“Alright, back to French music!” Alya said, and she pressed on her phone screen with a smile.

 

“Now this one is relatively old, but it’s still a goodie!” She said, and a peppy tune began to play.

 

 _“Elle me dit,_ _é_ _cris un chansone contente,”_ the song began, and Marinette set off to work gathering pillows as Alya lowered the music. Adrien pouted at the change of song(He’d just caught on to the lyrics!), but tapped his foot along to the beat of the song. Marinette set out four pillows on the ground in a circle, and lay on top of the fluffiest one. Alya took her place to her right, and Nino to her left. Adrien groaned dramatically and sulked onto the pillow next to Marinette, and sent her a secret wink. She giggled and put her finger up to her mouth, telling him to hush.

 

“Alright, kiddos, it’s time to play some sleepover games!” Alya said, crossing her legs and rubbing her hands together. “First off…Never Have I Ever!”

 

Marinette opened her mouth in protest, but Alya simply waved her off.

 

“It’s the Marinette version, don’t worry. So no dirty questions boys, but the extent does indeed extend to romantic endeavors!” She said with a mischievous lint in her eye. “Now, that may not matter much to you, but I have a personal duty to embarrass Marinette any chance I get, so it does to me. Alright, so Adrien, how you play is by holding five fingers up, and if someone says something you’ve done, you lower a finger. Last person standing wins. Nino, you wanna start?”

 

“Sure, babe. Uh, never have I ever…..” Nino said pensively, and he tapped his fingers on the carpet. Adrien shifted on his pillow, and sighed impatiently.

 

“...kissed someone in public.” He said, and everyone looked around. Marinette’s face burned, remembering the kiss she had to give to Chat Noir to save him from the akuma’s powers, and reluctantly lowered a finger.

 

“What?!” Alya gasped dramatically. Nino laughed into the pillow as Adrien stared at Marinette, mouth wide open in shock.

 

She rolled her eyes, cheeks still burning, and leaned into Adrien’s ear.

 

“It was an akuma thing. Please just let it go, I’ll explain later.”

 

Adrien’s shoulder’s relaxed, though he still looked disappointed. Marinette made a mental to avoid “later” as much as physically possible. She cleared her throat.

 

“Uh, is it your turn, Alya?”

 

Alya smirked, and nodded. “Let’s see….Never have I ever….Been in the boy’s bathroom.”

 

Marinette gasped and glared daggers at her friend, lowering a finger along with the other two boys. Adrien tried to hold back a laugh as he remembered the instance Alya was referring to. Nino simply shook his head.

 

“That’s just messed up, babe.”

 

Alya put her hands up in defense. “Hey, it’s something I’ve never done! Not my fault they make you go to certain places to pee depending on _gender_. Alright, now it’s your turn, Marinette.”

 

Marinette grumpily hugged her pillow and racked her brain for a phrase.

 

“Um, never have I ever….” She said aloud, ignoring Alya’s impatient groans. She tried to think of an innocent, non-romantic topic, and decided to self-indulge in the process.

 

“Had a dream about Ladybug.” She said simply. Technically, she never did have a dream about Ladybug. She had dreams of having to fight akumas _as_ Ladybug, but they didn’t count, seeing as how she was actually Ladybug. Plus, dreams didn’t necessarily have to be romantic, so she could get away with this one, right? Right.

 

“Aw, girl, I see you getting your revenge with that question. Alright, alright.” Alya said, lowering a finger. Adrien cleared his throat awkwardly and lowered one himself. Marinette froze, but Nino just rolled his eyes.

 

“He has this huge celebrity crush thing for Ladybug. It’s weird.” He said, and Adrien closed his eyes as Alya laughed.

 

“Hey Adrien, it’s okay! I do too! I mean, who wouldn’t, especially when that girl has such a fine-”

 

“Well! Time to move on, right?!” Marinette exclaimed, interrupting her friend. She gave Adrien a pleading look, her eyes begging him to move on, and he nodded in compliance.

 

“Uh, well let’s see…..” Adrien said. Marinette sighed in relief, her friend’s attention successfully diverted.

 

“Never have I ever…..stood up to Chloe.” He said, and Marinette smiled proudly as she had to lower her finger along with Alya. Nino shrugged and lowered his finger as well.

 

“You really should, bro. It’s like, liberating to tell that girl off.”

 

Adrien laughed, and Marinette’s heart felt like it was swelling with affection. His laughter really was the greatest thing she’d ever heard.

 

“Alright, so we’re back to the start, and Nino, Adrien and I have three fingers left, and Marinette only has two. Nino, let’s get rid of the competition, baby!” Alya shouted and she glared at a slightly terrified Adrien and Marinette.

 

“Prepare to meet your demise.”

 

Nino laughed, patting Alya’s hand.

 

“Alright, alright, just chill, Alya. I’m thinking. Um….Never have I ever…..stolen…..a phone? I don’t know.”

 

Alya rolled her eyes but shrugged, knowing that it was still enough to get Marinette down to her last finger. Adrien stared at her in disbelief, and Marinette avoided his gaze.

 

“Please don’t ask.” She muttered. Alya laughed, winking at Adrien knowingly, and began to think of her own question.

 

“Let’s see….nothing too direct to be unfair, but just enough to get Marinette out…..hmmm….” Alya said pensively, and her face lit up in an instant, struck with her solution.

 

“Never have I ever kissed a poster of someone!” She shouted, fully expecting Marinette to be crushed with defeat. Instead, Marinette jumped to her feet, pointed at Alya victoriously, and shouted, “Ha! Still in, Alya!”

 

“What?! But all those posters of-”

 

“I’ve kissed my _computer screen_ once, but never my posters. I’m not _that_ infatuated.” Marinette said matter-of-factly. She sat down, legs crossed, and closed her eyes with a victorious smile. Adrien looked at her in suspicion, but eventually sighed and lowered a finger. Nino burst out in laughter, which caused Marinette’s eyes to snap open again. She looked around and landed on the the now two fingers Adrien held up. She looked at him in bewilderment.

 

“It was-”

 

“A Ladybug poster!” Nino shouted, and doubled over in laughter. “Oh god, this is the greatest game I’ve ever played. You are so _gone,_ bro.”

 

Alya elbowed Nino, sending him wary glances at him and Marinette. Nino just rolled his eyes, content with his teasing.

 

 _“Honestly, how has she not caught on yet?”_ Nino thought. _“Though I guess it’s hard to believe your best friend is Ladybug in the first place. I never thought a dude like Adrien would be Chat Noir , but here we are....._ _”_

 

He was standing smack dab in front of the alleyway, listening to Ladybug call Chat Noir “Adrien” over and over. They didn’t even notice him, and yet Nino was seeing everything he wasn’t supposed to.

 

Chat Noir’s transformation released first, to reveal his mellow, polite best friend in his place. And yet this seemed okay with Ladybug. She was trying to convince or explain something to him, and a few seconds later, Adrien’s eyes grew wide as Ladybug’s transformation released to reveal.

 

“Holy bass drop.” Nino breathed under his breath.

 

Ladybug revealed herself as Marinette. Sweet, shy, Marinette, who had a knack for mustering up a whopping amount of courage around bullies, but losing it all at once around Adrien. Clumsy, forgetful, tardy Marinette was the miraculous Ladybug.

 

Adrien shouted and scooped her into a hug, swinging her around in pure joy. Nino couldn’t celebrate this new development between his friends however, as it seemed his mind had just melted into useless goop.

 

He panicked and ducked behind the nearest building, trying to prevent himself from hyperventilating.

 

“Okay, okay, okay. Um, my friends are Ladybug and Chat Noir. Marinette and Adrien are Ladybug and Chat Noir.” He said quietly to himself. His face cracked into a wide smile as his brain finally began to process this information.

 

“These two have been after each other from the very start.” He whispered in disbelief. After taking a few seconds to completely chill, Nino knew three things for certain:

 

1: Marinette and Adrien looked _great_ in skin-tight latex/leather.

2: Alya could NEVER know, unless he was ready to let his girlfriend commit murder.

3: He was going to enjoy teasing them for as long as possible.

 

Nino spotted a concerned Alya wander down the street he was on, and he jumped into action.

 

“HEY ALYA, I FOUND THEM!” Nino shouted.

 

“Well, it’s my turn now!” Marinette said, interrupting Nino’s thoughts. She rubbed her hands together and declared,

 

“Never have I ever…..told somebody I loved them romantically.” Marinette said, using her turn as a poke towards how far Alya and Nino have gone so far in the past few months they’d been dating. They smiled and lowered a finger, which caused Adrien and Marinette to erupt into cheers.

 

"Du-u-u-de!" Adrien said, poking Nino in the ribs as Marinette squealed with delight, engulfing Alya in a hug.

 

“Okay, okay! Just go, man.” Nino said in embarrassment. He took Alya’s hand and expectantly awaited Adrien’s phrase.

 

“Um, never have I ever…...hated school.”

 

The group collectively groaned, and Marinette threw her hands up.

 

“I can’t believe I’m out because of that obvious question.”

 

“Obvious? I love school, Mari!” Adrien said.

 

“For now.” Marinette said, and she flopped onto her stomach to let the rest of her friends play it out.

 

“‘Kay, uh, never have I ever…..hit on a girl using puns.” Nino said, looking straight at Adrien. Adrien’s mouth fell open, and Marinette shoved her face into her pillow, mustering all her strength to not laugh hysterically.

 

“What makes you think I would do something like that?!” Adrien said.

 

“Well, have you ever, or have you never, bro?”

 

Adrien groaned and lowered a finger in defeat. Alya snickered, continuing her turn. The three went on for only a minute more, before Adrien surprisingly won.

 

“Wow. Never knew I’d have to admit to not having to lie to my parents about grades and not kissing someone during school hours to win something.” Adrien said as everyone got up after the end of their game.

 

“Eh, even the best of us have our faults.” Alya said with a shrug, and Marinette sighed with relief.

 

“FINALLY. I want to marathon something now. I need to flush all this embarrassment away as soon as possible. Any suggestions for what to watch?”

 

“RWBY!” Alya shouted, and Nino shook his head.

 

“Nah, if we watch a Rooster Teeth show, let’s watch Red Vs. Blue. That stuff’s hilarious.”

 

Adrien scratched his head. “Um, I just want to watch cartoons….”

 

Marinette gasped, her eyes lighting up with glee.

 

“You like cartoons still, too? Which ones are your favorite?!” Marinette asked fervently.

 

Adrien laughed. “Um, just some new ones, like Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, stuff like that, you know? But I haven’t had any time to catch up on either. And I heard Gravity Falls already ended? But that can’t be true, right, Mari?”

 

Marinette clutched her hands to her chest.

 

“You poor soul. Guys, we’re watching cartoons.”

 

Nino shrugged. “Fine by me.”

  
“I like Steven Universe. It’s gay and cute. Let’s watch that ASAP.” Alya said.

 

Marinette laughed and nodded in agreement, and began her daily search for her remote.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you're welcome
> 
> (also this chapter is alternatively titled, "Nino Is The Worst At Being Subtle"


	10. Je T'aime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the chapter that killed me when I wrote it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do i keep updating in the middle of the night???? because i am an honors student and i have to write essays and I don't but I update my fics instead so you're welcome for procrastinating

Adrien watched Marinette’s head bob ever so slightly, only for her to snap back up and continue watching the show. The teens had gathered on the couch to marathon Gravity Falls until its grand finale(Adrien shed unashamed tears as the cast wished Dipper and Mabel goodbye, Marinette hugging him in consolation), and Nino and Alya had already passed out in each other’s arms. Adrien was doing his best to stay awake, but as the Steven Universe theme song played for the 15th time, he knew he and Marinette were ready to knock out. He sighed and grabbed the remote from Marinette’s hand, and turned off the TV.

 

“Wha-Don’t you wanna watch?” Marinette whispered sleepily. Adrien nodded.

 

“Of course, but you look like you’re about to pass out. I don’t want to keep you up too late.”

 

Marinette laughed, whipping out her phone and checking the time. She smiled and showed him the screen, which read “2:08 a.m.” on a wallpaper of the different types of stitches.

 

"It's too late for that."

 

Adrien sucked in a breath and shook his head. “Yeah. We’re going to sleep.”

 

Marinette rolled her eyes but complied, getting up from the couch to grab two pillows from the floor.

 

“Uh, you can sleep on the other side of the couch, and I’ll take a pillow and sleep with the blanket on the floor, okay Adr-?”

 

“You know I won’t let you do that.”

 

Marinette huffed and put her hands on her hips in defiance. Adrien smiled warmly at her, seeing the Ladybug in her rise out as she defended herself.

 

“I’ll survive a night on the floor, Adrien. You’re my guest, and I refuse to let you sleep on the floor.”

 

Adrien opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself. He sat on the couch in resignation.

 

“Well, can I at least talk to you for a bit before we go to sleep?” He asked quietly. Marinette’s eyes widened, and he could’ve sworn she was blushing, but it was too dark without the TV on to tell.

 

“U-uh, sure. Lemme bring the blanket first.”

 

Marinette walked upstairs in a quiet hurry, and Adrien sat alone with his thoughts.

 

Marinette opened her door room quietly, and found the strangest sight she’d never thought she would see; Tikki and another strange kwami, peacefully asleep next to each other on her pillow.

 

 _“Oh, it’s Adrien’s kwami.”_ Marinette thought, and she smiled at the little twitch Tikki gave in her sleep, probably from Marinette’s presence in the room. She quickly went to her closet and grabbed a spare blanket, and tiptoed out of the room.

 

Creeping down the stairs, Marinette watched as Adrien lay his head at the top of the couch, eyes closed and a peaceful smile on his face. Her chest flooded with warmth at the sight of his smile. If there was only one thing she could ask for, out of everything in this world, it was for Adrien’s eternal happiness so he could keep on smiling like that.

 

 _“Who knows; one day those smiles might be meant for me.”_ Marinette thought to herself, and a small smile creeped onto her face as she continued to slowly make her way down.

 

Adrien was smiling because of Marinette. He was in her house, because she wanted him to be. Marinette, his partner against crime, and best friend, made his life shine whenever his home life made it gray. She had always been his sunshine, even when he didn’t know it was her behind the mask. And so he smiled.

 

“Adrien? Are you asleep?” Marinette whispered softly, and Adrien’s eyes fluttered open.

 

“Oh, yes. I was just resting my eyes, sorry about that.”

 

Marinette waved him off and sat next to him, freezing as she landed a bit too close to Adrien, and her arm rubbed against his. She didn’t want to move, but she figured he would immediately adjust to her miscalculation. But Adrien was still. He simply took the blanket and extended it out across their laps, and leaned back against the couch.

 

“So, what’d you want to talk about, chaton?” Marinette whispered, hoping the nickname would give her some of the Ladybug confidence she needed as she leaned back.

 

Adrien smiled at the nickname and shrugged. “About everything, I guess. This week, today, your designs…..you.”

 

Marinette blushed, and she tugged the blanket up to her chin, snuggling underneath.

 

“Well, where do you want to start?” She asked him. Adrien turned to her, and they both drew in a simultaneous, barely audible gasp.

 

Marinette’s gentle eyes glittered like the ocean, the faint moonlight from her living room windows making her eyes magically glow. Her hair, slightly mussed from shifting around, fell in pitch-black strands all around her face, caressing her cheeks ever so slightly.

 

Adrien sat frozen, his eyes widening, and Marinette saw his eyes glint in the dim light, like the purest of emeralds were embedded into his irises. His soft, blonde hair somehow managed to remain perfect as he leaned against the couch cushions, and Marinette exhaled, forgetting to breath for a little too long.

 

“I think we should talk about today first.” Adrien said quietly, interrupting the moment. Marinette nodded her head in agreement.

 

“Sure. Well, let's see... Uh, if I’m going to be honest here, you were the very last person I suspected of being Chat Noir.”

 

Adrien laughed softly. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have guessed either, if I was in your shoes.”

 

“Did you ever suspect it was me? As Ladybug, I mean." Marinette ventured, bracing herself for the obvious answer she was expecting: No. Why would he, anyways, if he barely said hello whenever they met until they actually started to bond this week?

 

“I don’t think I suspected but more….” Adrien trailed off, seeming to search for the perfect word.

 

“Hoped.” He finally finished.

 

Marinette looked at him in surprise.

 

“H-hoped?” She asked nervously. He rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.

 

“I’ve….never been one to be afraid of showing Ladybug how I felt, though I wasn’t sure if she- _you_ just took it as me being a flirt. I started to get to know you this week, and I started to realize that this whole time, me being flustered whenever I touched you by accident, trying to see what you thought of Chat Noir when I saved-”

 

He paused and smirked at Marinette, who just rolled her eyes.

 

“Yeah, yeah. What was I supposed to do if the Evillustrator needed Marinette? But go on, Adrien. I’m listening.” She said with a smile. Adrien smiled back graciously, though a hint of smugness was still left behind.

 

“Anyways, I had always thought of Marinette as someone…..to be careful around.” He said slowly, hoping she would press him to explain.

 

Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed, failing to hide her disappointment.

 

“Wh-Why? Was it because I kept being stupid around you, or because I kept falling-”

 

“No, no, nothing like that, Mari. I just…..I believed that my heart fully belonged to Ladybug, and that no one to change that. You were someone that I had to be careful around because I-I was scared of falling in love with you, too.” He said quietly.

 

Marinette’s eyes grew wide, and Adrien chuckled softly.

 

“Turns out I had already done that, no matter how I look at it, huh? In love with the same person who rejects me for my flirting, and who can’t seem to stand me for more than two seconds before running off.” He said wistfully, looking out of the living room windows to avoid Marinette’s stare. The two stayed in silence for what seemed like an eternity, the faint hustle of cars through the streets of Paris floating around the house.

 

“I felt the same about Chat Noir, you know.”

 

Adrien turned to Marinette in surprise. She was looking down at her hands, which she was wringing nervously.

 

“I-I always pushed forward, using the akumas as an excuse, but it was just because I knew if I let him-If I let you, then I’d just have another problem on my hands. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else, and besides, I was already head over heels w-with,” Marinette stuttered, and she sighed, closed her eyes, and whispered.

 

“With you. With Adrien.”

 

Adrien’s voice caught in his throat, eyes burning with the threat of tears. This was all just the craziest love square in history. His Lady was the same girl who he was scared to let himself love, but who would reject him as a hero for fear of losing him as a normal person. And he _knew_ it wasn’t the kind of love every other girl so called had for him. She wanted nothing to do with him when they had first met, that bad first impression keeping her from getting to know him more. But after Nino had convinced him to just be honest, to apologize for this misunderstanding, she had changed her mind; she changed her mind after he showed his true self to her.

 

“W-With me?” Adrien repeated, completely dumbfounded by her confession.

 

“I’m sorry, you’re probably disappointed.” Marinette said weakly, beginning to feel subconscious under Adrien’s blank stares. Adrien blinked, and the tears he was holding back rolled down his cheeks one by one. And yet he did not move.

 

“Adrien, please don’t cry!” Marinette whispered harshly, and Adrien felt her arms wrap around him in a tight hug, her rubbing circles in his back soothingly.

 

“Shh, don’t cry, I’m sorry. D-don’t feel bad if you take back what you said before.”

 

“Take back?” He croaked out finally. “You make me the happiest person alive whenever you’re around, as Ladybug and Marinette. I’ll never take it back.”

 

He pulled back and cupped her face, wiping his tears away as he stared at her with gentle determination.

 

“I never got to tell Ladybug I loved her, but now that I’ve fallen in love with this part of you, too, this will be so much better.”

 

Marinette’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

 

Adrien grinned, and Marinette’s body rushed with heat, as if his eyes filled her with pure magic every time he smiled for her.

 

“Je t’aime.”

 

Marinette was absolutely paralyzed. Those words absolutely did not want to compute. She simply stared at him blankly, her mind struggling to process his words as it melted into a useless pile of mush.

 

“Je t’aime, mon cher, and I always will, for all of you.” Adrien continued, pushing forward as Marinette sat gaping at him. He let go of her face, too heated in his confession not to be expressive with his hands.

“I’ve been in love with you from the very start, Mari. I made a vow that I would love you, no matter who you were under that mask, because I knew that she would the one I truly loved. And it turns out I already loved you in the first place. How lucky, right, ma coccinelle?”

 

She snapped back to reality as he mentioned luck.

 

“Oui.” She whispered, a small smile lighting up her face. “How lucky, mon petit chaton.”

 

Marinette felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter into a frenzy, fueling her with stupid impulse-acting adrenaline, and she gently placed her hand on Adrien’s cheek, shut her eyes, and hoped her lips would meet his in a sweet stroke of good luck. But this is Marinette we’re talking about. When would that ever happen for her?

 

Her lips met a small curve, and she instantly knew she had aimed too high and kissed his nose instead. The kiss she planted was soft and quick, and she pulled back, her eyes snapping open to find a very surprised, completely flushed Adrien. All of her courage left her, and dread sank into the pits of her stomach.

 

“Oh, sorry! I was-I just-I thought-”

 

“Can I kiss you, Marinette?”

  
Marinette’s words trailed off, and her head seemed to nod on its own, admittedly a little more vigorously than she would have liked. Thankfully though, Adrien was not deterred, and as he leaned towards Marinette’s face, her beautiful blue eyes fluttering closed as their lips met, all coherent thoughts were tossed out the window, his sense focused on Marinette, and Marinette only. She melted into the kiss, becoming absolute putty in his embrace, and as he broke apart the first time out of fear of holding it for too long, Marinette had instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and crashed her lips onto his once again. Adrien chuckled, the laugh reverberating in his chest, and returned the kiss with just as much fervor. The two spent the rest of the hour testing the boundaries, learning the limits, and after so much discovery, fell asleep right on each other, a sleeping Adrien clutching onto a sleeping Marinette as if he were her lifeline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my head hurts but I love this chapter so mUCH now I'm going to sleep b y e
> 
> (P.S. this is so stupidly fluffy lmao)

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go
> 
> (Please leave comments!!! They keep me motivated enough to actually update!!!!! Thanks❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤)
> 
> P.S. if you wanna follow me on tumblr and show me stuff I'm goodmoviesequel!


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